Milcah מִלְכָּה

Milcah is mentioned in the books of Numbers and Joshua as one of the five daughters of Zelophehad, a descendant of Manasseh (Num.26.33; 27.1; 36.11; Jos.17.3). Zelophehad had no sons, only daughters, namely Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah. These daughters approached Moses, Eleazar the priest, and the leaders of the congregation, requesting the right to inherit their father's property in the absence of male heirs (Num.27.1-4). Moses brought their case before the Lord, who instructed him to grant the daughters the right to inherit their father's property (Num.27.5-7). This ruling set a precedent for inheritance rights in cases where there were no male heirs. Later, the heads of the fathers' houses of Manasseh raised a concern about the potential loss of tribal land if the daughters were to marry outside their tribe (Num.36.1-4). In response, the Lord commanded that the daughters of Zelophehad could marry whoever they wished, but only within their father's tribal clan, to ensure that the inherited land remained within the tribe (Num.36.5-12). Milcah and her sisters followed this instruction and married their father's brothers' sons (Num.36.11; Jos.17.3). The story of Milcah and her sisters highlights the importance of inheritance rights, the adaptability of the law to new situations, and the preservation of tribal allotments in ancient Israel.